


Birthday Girl

by theimperialpurple



Series: Amalgamation [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Accidental Dead Naming, BAMF Harry Potter, Birthday, Birthday Presents, Bisexual Harry Potter, Bittersweet Ending, Black Harry Potter, Black Hermione Granger, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Female Harry Potter, Feminist Themes, Gen, Genderbending, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Homecoming, Moving On, No Ginny Bashing, Panic Attacks, Paparazzi, Past Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Post-Divorce, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Racebending, Ron is the token white guy, Slow To Update, Soundtrack Available, Transgender, messing with timelines, transgender Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 17:36:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18877966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theimperialpurple/pseuds/theimperialpurple
Summary: After everything that happened to her in the past few months, Aster is all too happy to escape Gotham and return to England to celebrate her 28th birthday. Yet, as she is reunited with her friends Aster is confronted with her past and old emotional wounds. [An Amalgamation Interlude]





	Birthday Girl

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I know that this not exactly the sequel to 'Playing Hero". I promise you I am working on that and I plan to have it out hopefully by mid-July. Basically since I last updated my life has been hectic with balancing work and family and this series had to be pushed on the back burner. Thank you all for being patient with me! 
> 
> Anyway, This is an interlude that takes place between Playing Hero and the next major story that is titled "Nothing to Fear". I am messing with timeliness here Also there is some race-bending going on, so if that bothers you please back button now and save yourself the aggravation! This story deals with all the loose threads Aster left in England so lots of spoilers for Deathly Hallows. Also, there will be no scheduled updates for this. I will be posting sporadically going forward. Thanks to Ballycastle_Bat for the beta!

 

****

[(Please click here for the larger version)](https://imgur.com/DOqH0Cg)

 

 

 **Soundtrack:** [Hometown Glory by Adele](https://open.spotify.com/track/2qERBmbj9TrYbNDh9yWX9G?si=nBz5hSAzTz-OTMfuopT4fg)

Aster sighed in relief as she finally stepped off the plane in Heathrow. This was her first time on English soil for over a year and she felt strangely out of place. She quickly went through customs, and the baggage claim her eyes darting through the large crowd of people for the familiar dark bushy hair and the ginger of Ron and Hermione. She frowned, not really spotting them.

'That's strange,' Aster thought to herself. 'I did give them the right arrival time?'

Aster shook her head and made her way through the crowd. Swearing under her breath ever so often when she was bumped and shoved into. Aster cursed her own stupidity for making thinking that taking muggle travel was a good idea.

"Aster!"

Aster turned and she felt her lips split into a wide grin as she saw the bushy afro of her friend jumping up excitedly up and down.

"Hermione!" She waved at her friend. Ron shook his head wryly and waved much more calmly than his wife.

Aster pushed her way through the crowd and over to her best friends. Hermione flew into her arms, "Aster, I can't believe that you are here!"

"Hey, Mione." She kissed her head, her brown bushy hair tickling her nose. She breathed in the aching familiar smell of books, parchment, and roses that was such a core of her smell. Tears stinging her eyes. It had been really nice to see her again in person after so long.

"Let the poor girl, breath Hermione," Ron said, and Hermione sniffed and slapped him playfully.

"Aster is perfectly fine, Ron."

Ron smiled down at her, his eyes warm and fond. Then he shook his head and hugged Aster, "Nice to see, you mate."

"Hey Ron," Aster replied quietly.

Being in the arms of her best friend, her brother in everything but blood with Hermione by their side felt like she still felt like home.

"Let's get out of here," Aster said, as she stepped back. "I'm famished."

Hermione pushed a stray tendril of hair behind her ear, "Of course." She looked up and down at Aster. "You are way too skinny. Have you been taking care of yourself?"

Aster groaned but grinned up her. "I have been eating."

"Don't nag her," Ron chided, "Mom will be doing enough of that for all of us."

Aster shook her head, "Ugh don't remind me."

Hermione rolled her eyes, turned and lead them out of the airport.

* * *

 

 **Soundtrack:**  Mr. Brightside by The Killers 

 

Later, hey walked inside of Grimmauld Place, which looked grim as usual. It looked like nothing had really changed.

Ron wrinkled his nose, "You are sure mate? You can stay at our place."

Aster shook her head, "Nah, I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.

Aster nodded, and then there was a pop and the gray old scrunched elf Kreacher appeared.

"I am glad Mistress is home."

She gave a small smile to the elf, "Thank you Kreacher."

With a wave of his hand, her trunk was levitating.

"Aster!" There was a scream and suddenly a pounding a feet and a little boy was colliding with her legs. He looked up with his pink hair and yellow eyes. "Hey, pup."

"You are finally here!" He pouted, "You were gone too long."

Aster knelt down to Teddy Lupin's height and hugged his little body to her. "Sorry, I promise to visit more often."

She kissed his pink hair that morphed into a neon purple and looked up at Andromeda and her breath caught. For a moment, it felt like she was once again looking into the face of Bellatrix Lestrange instead the woman's older sister. Yet, when she met those warm brown eyes the illusion faded away. How could she forget that Bellatrix and Andromeda resembled each other so closely?

Aster pushed aside her bewilderment to throw a small smile at the older woman.

"It's good to see you, Aster."

"Thank you," She nodded, "And it's good to see you as well, Andromeda."

"I have been a good boy, Aster."

She looked down at the little boy, her mouth split into a wide grin. "You have? What does your Nan have to say about that?"

Andromeda gave a rueful laugh, "He has been good as any seven years old could be."

Aster laughed, "I bet." She ruffled Teddy's purple hair which he batted away.

"How about we get some lunch, and then Teddy can tell you all of you about his adventures."

Ron's rubbed his belly, "That sounds fantastic!"

Hermione shook her head, "You are always a bottomless pit."

He kissed her on the cheek, "But I'm  _your_ bottomless pit."

"Oh, you!" Hermione blushed, then turned to shoo everyone away. "Off to the kitchen, with the lot of you."

* * *

  
**Soundtrack:** [The Show by Lenka ](https://open.spotify.com/track/6IfGxW1hRMUjjgVSDXwcAi?si=iyBaGZYXRaikdfxix862_A)

It was almost like old times as they sat around the kitchen table and ate their fill. It felt for a moment like was Aster was 15 again and the Order sitting down for a late lunch before they had a meeting in which all the kids would later eavesdrop shamelessly via extendable ears. She could almost hear Mrs.Weasley berating Fred and George for some shenanigans, the smell of Dumbledore's lemon drops and the heavy smoke from his pipe.

She couldn't help but feel a bittersweet pang in her heart for times well and truly passed.

"Aster?"

Aster looked up to see the whole table staring at her. She shook her head, "What?"

"Well, are you going to tell us anything about Gotham?"

Andromeda shivered, "What a ghastly place!"

Aster just managed not to roll her eyes, "I have been living there for over a year and I'm still here in one piece." Hermione narrowed her eyes, but Aster quickly looked away. She hasn't told either Ron or Hermione what happened with Johnny Viti. She knew Hermione would get it out of her eventually, but she rather put off the lecture as much as possible.

"Well, Gotham is just like any other city."

"It has a flying man bat there."

"Really?" Teddy piped up around a spoon full of mash potatoes.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, darling." Andromeda chided.

"Batman is a not a flying bat," Aster scoffed. "He's just a muggle with delusions of grandeur."

Hermione leaned forward, "So you met him?"

Aster just shrugged, and hope in vain that Hermione would drop it.

"Aster--"

"So are you dating?" Ron blurted out, successfully derailing his wife. Yet, honestly, Aster wasn't really happy that it moved on to the subject of her dismal love life.

"No, not really," Aster said.

"Aster darling, you are a perfectly lovely woman. " Andromeda said taking a sip of her drink. "You should put yourself out there more."

Aster wanted to bang her head on the table. For a quick moment, her mind flashed back to Bruce Wayne and how she felt in his arms. Then she remembered how badly that ended for her and sighed. "I reckon that I'm not ready to date again."

The three grownups exchanged worried looks at her, but the sudden tension in the room went completely over Teddy's head whose attention was completely on shoveling as much food into his mouth as possible.

Hermione coughed, "I have a bit of announcement that I wanted to tell you first."

Ron's eyes went wide, as snapped his head to exchange a look. She nodded, her mouth split into a wide delighted grin. He took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I hope you're alright?" Aster smiled.

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks, and her best friend smiled. "Well," She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

Aster's mouth dropped open, Andromeda gasped, but that was finally able to get Teddy's attention.

Teddy finally looked up, "I'm getting a little cousin!"

Ron beamed down at the little boy, "Yep, in March."

Hermione bit her lip, "Aster?"

Aster leaped out of her chair and rounded the table and hugged her best friend, "I'm calling Godmother."

Hermione sniffed, "Of course you are going to be the godmother."

Ron, "Who else would we let be the sprout's godmother?"

Hermione turned to glare at him, "We are not calling the baby that, Ronald."

Aster wiped away tears, "I'm so happy for you both."

They all had a group hug which they all laughed when Teddy jumped on all of them even with the half-hearted chiding of Andromeda.

* * *

 

**Soundtrack:[Night Owls Early Birds by Foxes](https://open.spotify.com/track/0hkJrEGgY5I1tlZ4miMfuO?si=BD5dyKWSRduxGuRyeH6BHg)**

The rest of the lunch was a happy affair. Hermione, of course, had started to research everything about pregnancy and childcare though she wasn't even showing yet. Aster promised that of course, she would be there for the birth and the baby shower. Teddy talked loudly about having someone other to play with instead of Bill and Fleur's daughter Victoire who always teased him mercilessly.

Finally, it was time for them to go and they all hugged and said their goodbyes with promises to see them the next day at the Burrow. Aster sighed in relief in the eerie silence of the house.

Hermione's pregnancy reminded her how much had changed in the lives of her friends and family. Aster traced fingers across the walls and pausing inside the door to the lounge. She walked inside over to the black family tree. The names that had displeased old Walburga Black were still burnt off the tapestry. Aster was so glad that she finally found out a way to remove the old hag's portrait. She wouldn't have to deal with the late family Matriarch's loud curses about people is dishonoring the great and ancient house of Black.

The old bat would probably be rolling in a ground that a trans woman was now Lady Black. She traced the spot where Sirius's name and image portrait had been stitched in the fabric. If she closed her eyes she could hear his rough laughter. Aster smiled sadly, "I miss you, Padfoot."

It was so tragic that The Marauders were all gone now, and it was only her and Teddy that was all that was left of their legacy.

Aster shook her head and walked out turned out off the light and headed upstairs place where the line of elf heads used to hang with now an ordinary picture of the constellations now lay and into Sirius' and Buckbeak's old room. There was no trace of him there anymore and Aster couldn't stop thinking about all of the changes that happened since she had been gone.

Hermione was having her first baby. It wasn't a surprise to Aster that Hermione had waited as long as she did to try for the couple's first child. Even though Mrs. Weasley had been pressuring them to pop out babies immediately Hermione had been adamant that they wait until both Ron and her careers were in the right place.

Aster herself was honestly happy for them.

Yet, Her mind couldn't quite help going back to Ginny. She had wanted children immediately, longed for a family of her very own. Unfortunately, by the time they had a chance to try thanks to their demanding careers both Ginny and Aster's marriage had already become completely unraveled.

And after transitioning, Aster wouldn't able to have children of her own. And as much as she loved Teddy, she would never think to take him away from the only living relative they had. Andromeda simply adored the child and it would devastate them both to separate her from the only thing left of Tonks. It was one of the reasons why she didn't take him to Gotham with her.

With a put upon sigh, Aster changed out of her clothes, brushed her teeth, and slipped into bed. She stared up at the red canopy and not even as tired as she was couldn't quite make herself go to sleep. This was the first time since she returned from Montoya's ranch that she had slept without Sirius's comforting weight beside her.

She was startled out of her thoughts at the knocking on her window. She pulled out her new and intoned a quick  _Lumos_. And at the window glaring at her with unimpressed golden eyes was Archimedes.

She sighed in relief and with a flick of her wand the window was opening and flew inside. His long white wings flapping agitatedly.

Aster rolled her eyes, "Kreacher."

The old elf appeared with a pop, he bowed. "What can I do mistress."

"Can you please feed Archimedes?" She nodded to the bird, "And fill a water bowl for him?"

"As mistress wishes." He bowed and then apparated away. Archimedes screeched, with a swoop of displaced air sat fly over to her to peck her hair the nose.

"Ouch," Aster rubbed her nose. "You bloody menace."

Kreacher popped in a moment later and sit down a water and food bowl onto the desk near the window.

"Will, that be all, mistress?"

"Yes, thank you, Kreacher." With another bowl, he was gone. Aster crept back in bed and watched sleepily as Archimedes ate his fill. Finally, her owl ruffled his fathers and glided over to perch on top of the headboard of her bed. She sat up and reached to pet Archimedes soft white feathers. Being here in Grimmauld, she couldn't help but think about Hedwig. She smiled sadly as she remembered her first real friend, Hedwig. Even at through these years later, Aster missed her so much.

With a sad smile, she turned to Archimedes, "You won't ever leave me will you.'

The bird glared at her and ruffled his feathers as if she had insulted him by even suggesting such a thing.

Aster chuckled softly, "Sorry. Good night, Archimedes."

The bird hooted and wrapped his wings around himself and ducked his head and went to sleep. She slid back into bed and looked out of the window, the bright waning moon shined brightly and the rooftops of the houses in the neighborhood and the skyscrapers of London looming in the distance.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and eventually fell into an exhausted sleep. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> [The full soundtrack is available on Spottily ](https://open.spotify.com/user/justaddgigi/playlist/7oYLfFC2IeJDL6zG53gfHc?si=p6uqGliNSaiWWT9ubwRJ3w)
> 
> Please leave a comment and/or Kudos!


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